Portable hand warmers provide thermal comfort for people who are facing the elements. There are two main categories of portable hand warmers, disposable and reusable, and deciding on a category involves a cost/benefit analysis. This article does just that.
Google search engine was used to find the price range of disposable and reusable hand warmers. Many experts believe that people generally only browse the first three pages of a search engine, so only the first three pages were analyzed. The keyword phrase “portable hand warmers” was used to search for disposable items, and the phrase “battery-operated hand warmers” was used for reusable items. The price range for disposables fell between $0.26 and $0.59 per unit. The price range for reusables fell between $39.50 and $59.99.
Now, suppose a consumer bought two portable hand warmers, one disposable and one reusable, and got the lower price for both. Let’s also assume that the consumer uses both products 500 times, since that’s the number of times a reusable product can be used without showing signs of diminishing effect (according to a manufacturer’s user manual). Over the course of 500 uses, the consumer will spend $130 more on disposables. This of course excludes the cost associated with repeat visits to a retailer to purchase disposables. Reusables have a clear cost advantage over disposables when used frequently. However, for the infrequent user, disposables make the most sense (as does the disposable camera for people who rarely use cameras).
That covers part of the cost of the test, and now it’s time to discuss the benefits. The reusable ones last up to 10 hours, while the disposable ones last up to 18 hours. In other words, disposables can last for every hour a person is awake. Reusable ones require more selective use. Reusables also require a power source to recharge. The reusable ones are only practical for day trips, and not for week-long camping trips without a power source. In short, reusable hand warmers are more cost effective if used frequently, but disposable ones have more flexibility of use.